The present invention relates to female undergarments or swimsuits represented by a garment having a breast-retaining cup unit such as camisoles, two-piece brassiere garments, bustiers, one-piece brassiere garments, and the like. More specifically, it relates to a brassiere.
Some female garments having a cup unit, represented by a brassiere, provide a bust shape correction function by means of a wire provided along the lower peripheral edge of the cup unit (hereafter referred to as the wire-type). Usually, the wire is fine and hard being made of metal or hard plastic material. As a result, when a wearer puts on the garment with the wire, the wire bits into her body making her feel uncomfortable. A non-wire-type garment can overcome this problem. However, it does not provide the bust shape correction function.
For this reason, a comfortable garment with a breast shape correcting function is demanded in the market. A non-wire type brassiere comprising a supporting member made of the same material as the cup unit has been proposed. This type provided the bust shape correction function, nevertheless, it was deficient in that the correction function did not last for a long time. Particularly, the breast-shape correction function was lost when the clothing was washed repeatedly.
Among those females garments, such as a brassiere having a cup unit, some garments are provided with a cup unit with a breast retaining member, which is formed by molding a knitting fabric of thermoplastic synthetic resin fibers (e.g. polyester fibers) along the lower peripheral edge and the side peripheral edge of the cup unit. The breast retaining member built into this female garment is made of a polyester strip, and has gained a decent reception for its comfortable-to-wear and breast shape correcting features.
Usually, the female garment having a cup unit with the polyester strip-type retaining member works excellently for females with small breasts. It causes problems, however, when it is applied to the garments for females with large busts such as the D- or E-cup sizes; a molded polyester strip breast retaining member built into the garment, like a brassiere, loses its bust shape correction function under the weight of a bust and expands laterally. Much more improvement is required for the female garment to overcome this problem.
The object of the present invention is to provide a female garment having a cup unit, more specifically, a brassiere of the D- and E-cup sizes that can ensure the bust correction function for a long time by means of a built-in polyester strip retaining member built therein. The present invention intends to overcome the problem that the breast retaining member does not expand laterally over time under the weight of a bust due to the loss of breast supporting and shape retaining effects.
The first aspect of the present invention provides a female garment having a cup unit comprising a breast retaining member providing a curved, hardened region for correcting breast shape, which is formed by molding a knitting fabric of thermoplastic synthetic resin fibers arranged along the lower peripheral edge and the side peripheral edge of the cup unit, wherein the curved, hardened region for correcting breast shape of the breast retaining member is formed with a sectionally semicircular curved strip that projects outward and extends in parallel with the lower peripheral edge (1) and the side peripheral edge (2) of the cup unit.
In other words, a sectionally semicircular curved strip is provided in such a way that it extends along the lower peripheral edge and the side peripheral edge of the cup unit that comprises the hardened region for correcting breast shape of the breast retaining member. Different sections are provided in the same mold for the sectionally semicircular curved strip and the hardened region for correcting breast shape so that the curved strip and the region are molded simultaneously: The strip has the same hardness as the hardened bust shape correction and hardening region. Specifically, the area without the curved strip is shaped flat; the curved strip portion in the hardened region for correcting breast shape is of a wavy shape. The waviness provides a larger rigidity against bending force. This breast retaining member can therefore provide the breast supporting and shape retaining function for females with particularly large breasts. It can further be used for garments designed for females of larger busts who wear the D- and E-cup sizes.
In addition, the curved strip projects outwardly, the sectional semicircular portion projects opposite to the wearer""s body. The garment having this breast retaining member, therefore, does not tighten up the wearer""s body, and it is comfortable to wear.
The second aspect of the present invention provides a female garment having a cup unit comprising a breast retaining member providing a curved, hardened region for correcting breast shape, which is formed by molding a knitting fabric of thermoplastic synthetic resin fibers arranged along the lower peripheral edge and the side peripheral edge of the cup unit. The curved, hardened region for correcting breast shape of the breast retaining member is provided with a sectionally semicircular curved strip that projects outwardly and extends parallel to the lower peripheral edge and the side peripheral edge of the cup unit, and an elastic resin bar is applied to a recessed groove on the back of the curved strip. In other words, an elastic resin (plastic) bar is applied to the recessed groove formed on the back side of the curved strip, the means provided in claim 1, on the side at which it contacts a wearer""s body. The curved strip reinforces the rigidity of the breast retaining member. Being inserted in a recessed groove of the curved strip, the elastic resin bar further reinforces the rigidity of the breast retaining member. The elastic resin bar is obtained by placing a flat strip-type metallic mold on the back of the recessed groove of the curved strip, and by injecting a plastic therein, followed by curing. The elastic bar can also be obtained by adhesively attaching an elastic resin bar that is large enough to fit the recessed groove of the curved strip. It can also be made by welding an elastic resin bar to the curved strip which is a polyester plate type retaining member. Preferably, the elastic resin bar is large enough to fit the recessed groove of the curved strip. Desirably, the elastic resin bar should not project inwardly on the back side of the sectionally semicircular, curved strip so it would not project on the wearer""s skin.
The third aspect of the present invention provides a female garment having a cup unit comprising a breast retaining member providing a curved, hardened region for correcting breast shape, which is formed by molding a knitting fabric of thermoplastic synthetic resin fibers arranged along the lower peripheral edge and the side peripheral edge of the cup unit. A tensional slender flat woven rubber string is sewn to the inner surface of the curved, hardened region for correcting breast shape of the breast retaining member while stretched, specifically, throughout the region along the longer border (hereafter referred to xe2x80x9chemxe2x80x9d) that extends in parallel with the lower peripheral edge and the side peripheral edge of the cup unit. The effect of sewing the rubber string is that the curved, hardened region for correcting breast shape bends inwardly. In other words, a slender flat woven rubber string is sewn to the inner surface of the curved, hardened region for correcting breast shape of the breast retaining member while stretched. Specifically, it is sewn throughout the region along the hem that extends parallel to the lower peripheral edge and the side peripheral edge of the cup unit, so that the curved, hardened region for correcting breast shape bends inwardly: the tension is applied such that the curvature is smaller for the breast shape correcting and retaining region bending inwardly. This reinforces the initial inward tensional force that the hardened region for correcting breast shape provides where it contacts the wearer""s breast. Therefore, it will not expand laterally under the bulkiness and weight of a bust and ensure breast shape correcting function.
The forth aspect of the present invention provides a female garment having a cup unit wherein the outward projecting sectional semicircular, curved strip, which is a molded breast retaining member shaped in a sectionally curved member in the hardened region for correcting breast shape, is provided along the lower peripheral edge and the side peripheral edge of the cup unit, which is the upper surface of the molded sectionally curved member. In other words, the rigidity against bending of the cup unit is reinforced by providing the breast retaining member along the lower peripheral edge an the side peripheral edge of the cup unit, which is the upper surface of the molded sectionally curved member, which is a molded breast retaining member in the hardened region for correcting breast shape.
The fifth aspect of the present invention provides a female garment having a cup unit wherein the outward projecting sectionally semicircular curved strip which is a molded breast retaining member shaped in a sectionally curved member in the hardened region for correcting breast shape is provided at the outer edge of the cup unit, which is the lower surface of the curved member in the hardened region for correcting breast shape.
The sixth aspect of the present invention provides a female garment having a cup unit which a slender, flat woven rubber string is sewn while stretched, to the inner surface of the curved, hardened region for correcting breast shape of the breast retaining member. Specifically, the slender, flat woven string sewn while stretched throughout the region along the hem is a slender, flat woven rubber string of a length 15-20% less than the length of the hem region of the inner surface of the hardened region for correcting breast shape of the breast retaining member. The slender flat woven rubber sewn in this case is, of course, not one with a strong tension but is the type that is commercially available and commonly used for undergarments because it is comfortable. The slender flat woven rubber string is 15-20% shorter than the entire length of the hardened region for correcting breast shape along the hem. Therefore, the tension required for bending the hardened region for correcting breast shape inwardly can be applied while providing comfort and the shape correcting function for a long time.
The seventh aspect of the present invention provides a female garment having a cup unit wherein the female garment having a cup unit is a brassiere. In other words, it is a brassiere which can take advantage of the present invention.
The material used for the breast retaining member of the present invention is a polyester fabric of a thermoplastic resin. This material is advantageous in that the breast shape correcting region of the breast retaining member in the center of the cup unit can be made softer toward the edge by increasing the temperature to 190xc2x0 C. at the high end during molding. This provides a desirable shape with appropriate hardness, shape-retainability, stretchability, and elasticity with excellent comfort.
Moreover, the breast retaining member is made of a knitted fabric, specifically the fabric knitted circularly [in tube] or by the double Russell technique. The fabric has elastic properties and it is easy to attach to the curved mold. Particularly, the fabrics knitted circularly [in tube] or by the double Russell technique easily provide the thickness required for the breast retaining member.
Furthermore, the breast retaining member of the present invention is sandwiched with cup construction materials of different hardness putting the breast retaining member therebetween. Therefore, a soft material can be placed to the side which contacts the wearer""s body so as to make the garment more comfortable.
The cup unit in a female garment of the present invention does not use metallic wire at all. This makes it possible for the product to go through the needle sensor used to detect sewing needles accidentally left in the product. This, in effect, makes it easier to ensure the product safety.